welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday october 10th. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. economists at the international monetary fund are seeing risks wherever they look. in the eurozone, in china, in japan, and the united states. they downgraded their forecast for global growth in their

latest report released at the opening of the imf and world bank meetings in tokyo. they say nations must take action to safeguard stability and restore confidence. juan madison reports. >> reporter: some of the world's leading economic minds gathered at the tokyo international forum. they opened their meetings with little fanfare and little optimism. >> the world economy recovery continues, but it has weakened further. in advanced economies, growth is now too little to make a substantial dent in unemployment. >> reporter: colleagues cut their forecasts for growth worldwide to 3.3% this year. the recovery has suffered new setbacks, they wrote. and uncertainty weighs heavily on the outlook. >> you can call it a general feeling of uncertainty about the

future. worries about the ability of european policy makers that control the euro crisis. there are worries about the failure of u.s. policy makers to agree so far on a fiscal plan. >> reporter: he ran through a list of challenges in developed countries. government spending cuts, a weak financial system, high unemployment. emerging economies such as china drove the recovery from the global downturn, but they have cooled off. >> clearly the downside if the global economy were to slow much more than expected, then additional policy measures will be needed. >> reporter: he said he was encouraged by the easy money policies of many banks and pieces to what he called a complex puzzle are starting to fall into place. he said if the puzzle can be completed, then one can hope that the worst might be behind

us. ron madison, nhk world, tokyo. this high level gathering wouldn't have been happening here in tokyo if things had gone according to plan. accordi organizers originally decided to go in egypt. immediately raised his hand and proposed japan would host. we spoke with the vice minister of finance for international finance. >> reporter: vice minister nakoa was instrumental to bringing the meeting to tokyo. he says there are two goals he hopes to achieve during the meetings. >> in the international economy, there are a lot of challenges including those euro and other advanced economies also. we want to provide a good opportunity for discussing these difficult challenges. we are recovering from the

tragic disaster of last year, tsunami and earthquake. so i want this meetings -- these meetings -- this opportunity to be important opportunity for japan to show the people from abroad to see the recovering economies stable and integrating. >> reporter: debt problems in the eurozone remain the biggest concern for the global economy. nakao says japan will continue to support the region. >> greece and spain and other countries are making serious efforts of fiscal conservation and reform. so they are doing a lot. but what japan wants to stress here is that they must continue to have a form. we have invested in the bond and about new esm bond.

if it is started as scheduled and once it gets a rating, we will consider whether we'll continue to -- whether we'll buy the esm bond. >> reporter: another risk to the global economy is the slowdown in china. we asked nakao in he thinks the chinese authorities will take additional measures to boost the economy. >> they might be prudent because if given from the government by the public works and so on, it is not in line with the transformation to the consumption related economy. and also it might involve the risk of the realistic.

so they look a little bit prudent. they have 7.5% growth target. i think in the end they'll achieve the goal. >> reporter: recent tensions over territorial disagreements between japan and china have cast a shadow over the two economies. nakao says he hopes the meetings will help the two sides overcome their differences. >> political difficulties. i should note that noda and wen agreed to the corporation. we have done a lot of efforts in a very concrete way. and once again, i hope that any difficulties does not harm this kind of progress. >> you can read or watch our interviews with top economists

attending the imf world bank annual meetings. just come to our website www.nrk.orp.world. in this country's northeast. last year's earthquake and tsunami hit the region hard. people attending the gathering are sharing their ideas on disaster recovery and prevention. nhk world reports. >> reporter: the meeting has been dubbed the sendai dialogue. named after one of the main cities in the northeast. more than 300 participants have come here from across the world and across japan. they include government officials, experts, and representatives of international organizations. they spent two days talking about the 2011 disaster and

subsequent recovery efforts. >> translator: we'ved learned a lot from our disaster recovery efforts. i think it's critical for us to share these lessons with people around the world. and i'm making that another personal mission. >> we'll not be able to prevent the natural hazards that threaten people around the world, but working together we can lower the dangers. prepare better, respond more quickly, lessen the costs, and first and foremost make the lives of people all over the world safer. >> reporter: panel discussions on tuesday focus on preparedness in countries. compiled a report based on the japan earthquake.

japanese are woven into their culture. schools, offices, and communities hold regular drills to prepare for earthquakes and other events. the panel is recommended people in developing countries adopt similar safeguards. >> we have learned very important lessons here that need to be translated. especially also to developing countries where it's really crucial to incorporate better risk management in the development policies. >> not only the government but more importantly the community so they will be better able to prepare. as to mitigate the future risk of any future natural disaster. >> reporter: the sendai dialogue is a chance for experts to share ideas on how to mitigate the risks posed by natural disasters. earthquakes and other events can strike at any time. pin pointing when is not yet

possible. so people here say learning from the past and preparing for the future is the best way to save lives. nhk world, sendai. u.s. treasury secretary timothy geithner is visited india. he's welcomes efforts by indian leaders to reform their economy. geithner met with indian finance minister in new delhi. >> i think the reforms outlined by the government of india are -- offer a very promising path to improving growth outcomes for the indian economy. >> observers say geithner is urging the indian government to proceed with economic reform policies. the prime minister has been trying to implement changes. one example is his push to open the retail sector to foreign

supermarkets. but plans to ease restrictions have parked an angry reaction. one political party has left the ruling coalition in protest. german chancellor angela merkel is urging to push forward. implement deep spending cuts in return for financial aid. merkel went to athens were talking. this is her first visit there since greece's fiscal crisis sank in. she says she hopes the country will stay in the eurozone. she says greek leaders have made great strides. she's been demanding they introduce tough deficit cutting measures. greece's politicians hope they'll receive more than 30 billion euros in bailout. it is part of a package approved by eurozone countries, the central bank, and international monetary fund. tens of thousands of greeks gathered to protest against merkel's visit.

about 7,000 police officers were out in the streets to control the demonstrators. now let's take a look at the latest market figures. the international energy agency predicts that iraq's oil production will more than double. the forecast was in a report

released on tuesday. the report says that iraq will likely produce 6.1 million barrels of oil a day in 2020. rather that's by 2020. iraq has signed many contracts with international oil companies. the country has been making progress and reconstruction since the u.s.-led war. the iea also projects by 2035 iraq's daily output will grow to 8.3 million barrels. that means iraq will overtake russia as the world's second largest oil exporter. but oil storage and transportation will be needed. the iea says iraq will achieve economic growth if it efficiently manages its oil development and revenues. researchers of the world health organization say that more than 350 million people suffer from depression. the figure is about 5% of the global population. the w.h.o. released the estimate ahead of world mental health day on wednesday. the organization says more than

half of depression sufferers are not receiving treatment because many fail to acknowledge their illness. the researchers say women appear to be more susceptible to depression than men. up to one in five mothers experience post par tom depression. the researchers warn that the economic crisis could increase the risk of depression and suicide. they recommend that sufferers should have access to efficient treatment. a japanese cabinet member and cambodia's prime minister met to discuss japan's position on the senkaku islands in the east china sea. cambodia will host asean summit meetings next month. deputy chief cabinet told prime minister in phnom. japan controls the islands while

china and taiwan claim them. saito said japan hopes to resolve the dispute in a rational way. hun says it made him understand the context. he supporteds a peaceful settlement of the issue. japan has no plan to raise the issue at summit meetings of asean members and other asia pacific nations. japan and china are also expected to take part in the summit in cambodia. japan's prime minister has achieved something he won't be celebrating. an nhk wol suggests the support rate for yoshihiko noda and his cabinet has fallen to the lowest level since taking office in september last year. nhk surveyed 1,056 people between saturday and monday. participants were aged 20 and older. they gave the cabinet a support rate of 26%. that's down 5 percentage points from last month's survey. the number of voters who don't support the cabinet is up by

five points to 58%. the support rate for the prime minister's democratic party hit its lowest level since he took office. it fell by three percentage points to 14%. on the other hand, the support rate for the liberal democratic party rose to 26%. almost double that of the dbj. that's an increase of six points. nhk also questioned respondents about which would make the best prime minister. 18% say noda is appropriate. 30% support the leader of the ldp. 40% say neither man is right for the job. so we're seeing changing fortunes for the governing dbj and former ruling ldp. we spoke about what it all means. >> first off, what's behind the spike? support for the liberal democrats? >> last month's ldp leadership

election had had a big impact. the party led japan almost continuously in l the democrats took place in 2009. the democrats have been unpopular for the last few years. their leadership race touched on the territorial disputes japan is having with its neighbors. for example, china and south korea. as you know, the subject has been getting a lot of attention these past few months. the winner of the ldp election abe took a tough stance on the issue. he says japanese have to take it into their own hands stressing the company should strengthen its military power. >> some people are surprised to see how they can given he was prime minister five years ago that resigned. how do they feel he stacks up against noda? >> many voters feel they can no longer expect strong leadership to deal we the more difficult issues of governing such as those territorial disputes.

our survey suggests abe's captured their attention. he's almost twice as popular as noda, and that's helped for new interest in the ldp. >> and what about the political party that recently came on to the scene. how did the japanese restoration party do in this survey? >> not well. i was here last month talking about a poll that suggested more than half of voters have either some or high expectations of the japan restoration party. but it's still quite far behind the ldp. only 2% of those surveyed in this new poll endorsed it. however, we'll probably see that number rise as voters start to learn about the party and its policies. more than anything, this poll is a bit of wakeup call for prime minister noda in its ruling dpj. general election is on the horizon. a political party still working to lock in support. noda and his colleagues now have even more work to do to convince voters they deserve a second

chance at governing. military exercises involving the philippines and its most powerful ally the united states kicked off on monday. the philippines is one of several countries competing with china for sovereignty of islands in the south china sea. the drills will expose philippines marines to the skills and practices of their more experienced colleagues from the u.s. navy. >> reporter: we're here at the krill valley. the site for regular bilateral trainings for philippines and u.s. marines for readiness. 11 days of joint exercises began monday. a total of 3,800 troops are taking part in the 29th drill of its kind. that's 400 more personnel each from the u.s. and the philippines compared with the previous exercise. the opening ceremony took place

at the location of a former u.s. navy base facing the south china sea. the united states used the occasion to send a message to any powers trying to expand influence across the region. >> world war ii, our nations fought side by side and today we remain side by side as we face common threats. >> reporter: the philippines and china are engaging territorial disputes over the spratly islands and off luzon island in the south china sea. chinese patrol boats continue to operate near the shore. that means philippine fishing boats are unable to approach the waters. china is also exerting economic pressure on the philippines. in may china inspections on philippine bananas.

causing exports to stall. the philippine says the drill will be conducted within its own territorial boundaries and will not harm relations with china. >> the current was not included in developing the scenarios for the exercises. >> reporter: the philippines is locked in a dispute with a neighbor that is much more powerful. both economically and militarily. even so, it refuses to concede to china on the territorial issue. the philippine government intends to continue efforts to resolve the situation. it's using asean and other diplomatic avenues to raise political pressure. and on the military front, strengthening its alliance with the united states. nhk world.

hello. i'm ron madison here at the annual meetings of the international monetary fund and the world bank. finance ministers, central bankers, and business leaders for more than 180 countries gathered here in tokyo now. we'll get the latest on their tackle on the turmoil and speak to the leading financial minds. that's all this week on "newsline." let's now check weather conditions around the world. sayaka mori joins us for that. sayaka, it seemed chillier this morning than yesterday morning. how will the day shape up? >> well, it was really cool this morning. but it should be warming up to 24 degrees during the daytime hours. looking at blue skies at this moment. showers are possible from late afternoon. get your umbrella handy. more heavy rain on the course from thursday as the systems are approaching from the continent. right now those symptoms are dumping snow showers in parts of northeastern china and thundershowers in the north

korean peninsula. it will affect the northern half of japan on thursday. out west, dry across much of eastern china, but southwestern china is a different story. thundershowers i should say rain showers will continue throughout the day. but it's not going to be severe. but down towards the south, remnants are still hovering over. today the heaviest rain is found in the northern half of myanmar. out east we can see this pink showing up. typhoon praphoon starting to produce rough seas. over eastern taiwan from late tonight. waves could reach four meters. as you can see, it's going to continue to move at a slow pace over the next several days. we're not sure where the system is going. it could move through the okinawa islands. we'll keep you posted on the storm's progress. temperatures are looking like this. we're expecting 19 degrees in seoul on wednesday.

that's about three degrees lower than yesterday. tokyo slightly warming up to 24 degrees. and out west, 19 in chongqing and dropping out of the 30s in hong kong. all right. moving into the americas then. lots of snow in canada. this low pressure system moving across eastern canada is spreading rain and snow in ontario and northern quebec. and rain showers in the great lakes. the symptom will travel towards the east. and will start to effect new england and the east end of canada on wednesday. and back behind it there's another storm moving through alberta bringing snow and rain. the system will head towards the east and will start to effect minnesota, north dakota, and manitoba. manitoba may see 15 centimeters of snow. a small low, it is tracking through southern california bringing in some rain showers. sierra nevada may see intense

snow showers from late wednesday. and dry across the eastern half. eastern third of the u.s. conditions are ideal for overnight cooling. that could create freezing conditions. that could increase frost conditions. also that could kill sensitive plants if left outdoors. all right. temperatures are looking like this. cooling down to 11 degrees in chicago. despite the sunshine. 12 degrees in toronto. out west only 6 degrees expected in winnipeg with a low of minus three. finally let's go over to europe then. a strong low which produced heavy rain and strong winds in the southern scandinavian peninsula is now moving through southern finland and the baltic states. that continues to head towards the east. and the associated front is delivering ongoing rain in southern france. central france, southern germany, and the alpine region. as much as 100 millimeters of rain has been recorded.

that's more than the rainfall for all of october here. out west the slow moving -- rapid moving, fast moving low pressure system is now effecting iceland with heavy rain and gusty winds. those conditions will also spread to ireland by wednesday night. temperatures are looking quite mild across many locations, but still on the hot side in lisbon with high of 27. here's the extended forecast.

one more story before we go. a flock of wild swans have arrived at a bird park in western japan. a sure sign that winter is coming soon. whistling swans migrate to japan from the coast of russia's about arctic for wintering.

officials found seven swans in the pond on tuesday. they arrived one week earlier than last year. the swans are expected to stay there until they fly back to russia next march. that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks very much for joining us.